Federal advisory committees to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) voted on Monday to approve plans aimed at developing young people into the next generation of leaders that will support national preparedness and health emergency response efforts.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the arm of HHS that prepares for and responds to public health emergencies, first raised the topic of engaging American youth on issues related to health emergencies and disaster response.
As a result, the National Preparedness and Response Science Board (NPRSB) and the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters (NACCD), both of which advise HHS on public health matters, established the ASPR Future/Youth Leadership Working Group (FYLWG) last year.
“Youth are one of our greatest assets in building our nation’s health security,” the FYLWG said in its draft report. “They are both a resource to develop, tap, and grow for the future as well as a conduit to strengthening community emergency and disaster readiness and resilience.”
The NPRSB and NACCD voted to approve the draft report in a teleconference on Monday.
In its report, the FYLWG sought to highlight the contributions that young leaders can make to their community and national preparedness and response efforts and to recommend a set of strategies to capture and develop that talent.
Throughout the course of its research, the FYLWG interviewed experts and related stakeholders to develop objectives toward building a culture of preparedness. The group then recommended utilizing existing programs to train the next generation of emergency preparedness and response leaders through organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Youth Preparedness Council, the Extension Disaster Education Network and the YMCA.
FYLWG also recommended establishing role models and mentors to ensure strong support systems through programs such as 4-H and Virginia’s Y Street.
In addition, educational training at the high school, trade school and college levels should be geared toward encouraging young people to consider careers in the areas of health care and emergency management, the report said. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies could support that educational effort.